Dick Cheney Proved that Failure is not the End

 

Former vice president of the United States, Dick Cheney passed away on November 3^rd of this year, and whether you agreed with him or not, you must admit that he had a direct impact on the path of this nation. During his career, Mr. Cheney served in the U. S. House of Representatives and held various offices under three different presidents. By most measures he was successful even though there will always be questions about his role in the War in Iraq.

Following Cheney’s death, the YaleNews posted a very good article about his life, pointing out that he started his college career at the Ivy League university. However, the article leaves out the year that Cheney graduated because…well…he didn’t. In fact, he flunked out of the school: twice. Eventually he would earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees while attending the University of Wyoming, but Yale would stand as a blotch on Cheney’s academic record. Fortunately, that failure did not stop Cheney from becoming what the article describes as, “Widely considered one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history.” So even the school where Cheney met failure admits that in the long run the man was quite successful.

All too often we paint failure as the end, especially for someone who fails school. But failure is one of the consequences that sometimes comes with not standing still on the path of life. Yes, it may be a sign that a course change is needed but it does not have to be the end. In the long run, whether a person fails is much less important than how that person handles it when they fail. Dick Cheney changed course after his failure and went on to live what the YaleNews calls “a consequential public life.” Of his many great successes, proving that failure is not the end might be his most meaningful message to the world.

From the YaleNews - For Cheney, a Yale start and a consequential public life